U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer accepted an invitation to join the national Food Day Advisory Board. More info>>

STATEWIDE INITIATIVES

The Governor’s Office has made an official proclamation acknowledging October 24, 2011 as Food Day. Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance and Oregon Food Bank supported this effort. Thanks to Nancy Becker of ONPA for taking the lead! Read the proclamation>>

First Lady of Oregon, Cylvia Hayes, will participate in two Food Day events in Portland on October 24. She will offer opening remarks at the Kaiser Permanente – Community Benefit event where grant awards for a Healthy Food Access RFP will be announced. Event will be held at Zenger Farm. She will also visit Madison High School for a healthy lunch of locally sourced foods.

Oregon Food Bank will engage RARE Program (Rural Resource Assistance for Rural Environments) AmeriCorps members in community engagement around Food Day in Lebanon, Corvallis and Tillamook.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Interfaith Food and Farms Partnershiphas promoted Food Day through an events postcard mailing to 1,300 and through about 400 e-mails to congregations. They have also initiated a push for healthy, sustainable food drives for faith communities. Do something great for those in need by connecting Food Day to this coming holiday season. Start your drive on Food Day and collect different foods each week until Thanksgiving or at another time of the year. Check out the resources>>

Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) launched its new discussion course titled “Hungry for Change: food, ethics and sustainability”.The course explores the interconnected nature of food systems and our connection to them. It supports “Menu for the Future”, a course that looks at personal food choices and how they affect sustainability. NWEI hopes to use Food Day as an opportunity to outreach for both discussion courses and will table at the Portland Farmers Market on October 22. More info>>

EVENTS AROUND THE STATE

October 13-16NW Permaculture Convergence will take place at Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens from October 14-16. A full day of pre-Convergence activities will take place in Portland on October 13. The event, projected to involve 400-500 participants, will engage all ages and interests ranging from urban to rural permaculture. Program will include permaculture site tours, presentations, hands-on skill building, children’s village, films, live music, and a weekend of community meals prepared with locally sourced whole foods.

Wednesday, October 19Commissioner Nick Fish delivered a City of Portland Food Day proclamation on behalf of Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council. A City Council presentation highlighted local Food Day events. Read the proclamation>>

Klickitat County Health Department and Gorge Grown Food Network are launching a series of events to celebrate Food Day. The Hood River event will include a screening of the film Nourish, guest speakers including Lauren Fein, Health Educator for OSU Extension Service, a cooking demonstration, and a harvest exchange for freshly harvested goods and for canned and preserved goods. More info>>

Thursday, October 20

Pearl Health Center will host a press event in conjunction with the upcoming Food Day. Health professionals and local parents will come together to call on McDonald’s CEO and McDonald’s local franchise owner, Don Armstrong, to stop fast food marketing to kids. The event will mark the re-release of an open letter to McDonald’s signed by over 1600 health professionals nationally, and over 50 in the Portland area. 721 Northwest 9th Avenue, Portland at 11:00 AM.

Friday, October 21

First Harvest: A Craft Kitchen will host a grand opening from 6:00–9:00 PM at 915 NE Alberta St, Portland. The event is co-sponsored by Kitchen Commons, a project of the Charitable Partnership Fund promoting community kitchens throughout the Portland area. The group will use local produce to make and enjoy delicious pizzas. Come enjoy the space and learn about upcoming classes and events plus opportunities to rent space in the kitchen for your start-up business.

Portland Parks and Recreation Community Gardens Program will host a harvest festival at Brentwood Community Garden / GreenThumb Site (6801 SE 60th Ave) from 3:45–5:30 PM. Join in for a fun, free afternoon of games, prizes, and food. More info>>

Saturday, October 22

Adelante Mujeres, an organization that works with low-income Latino farmers, is planning La Esperanza Farm Work Day. The event will include a volunteer work party and potluck at La Esperanza Farm in Forest Grove, plus relevant food-related activities for youth and adults between work shifts. The Confluence Environmental Center’s AmeriCorps member serving at Adelante Mujeres is coordinating the event. More info>>

Outgrowing Hunger will host avolunteer work eventto build a garden bed for Loaves & Fishes in Gresham on unused county land across from the parking lot of the Multnomah County East building, where the YWCA Senior Center, Loaves & Fishes, and MC Aging & Disability Services all reside. The garden will be managed by Outgrowing Hunger, and should provide at least 1000lbs of fresh produce to seniors in need each season. Register to participate>>

Portland Farmers Market has invited seven non-profit organizations to the PSU Market to share information about their missions as related to the Food Day principles. More info>>

Farmers Ending Hunger will have an outreach booth at various Portland area farmers’ markets where hands-on activities, including Build-A-Mr. Potato Head, will be offered for kids of all ages. Farmers market vendors and local farms will donate potatoes and other seasonal vegetables for kids to create their own Mr. Potato Head. More info>>

League of Women Voters of Corvallis will be at the Corvallis Farmers’ Market to join forces with the Food Action Team of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition to distribute Local 6 “passports” for the 2nd Annual Local Eats Week (October 24 – 30). During Local Eats Week, there will be 13 Corvallis restaurants offering a $6 Local 6 small plate or appetizer, made with ingredients that are primarily from the Local 6 counties: Benton, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, and Polk. More info>>

Portland Parks and Recreation Community Gardens Program will host a variety of work parties and garden classes from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. More info>>

Portland Parks and Recreation Community Gardens Program will host a groundbreaking celebration at Kenton Community Garden (N. Houghton & Burrage) from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. Celebrate the beginning of a new garden site. More info>>

Friends of Portland Community Gardens (FPCG) will host a “get-your-hands-dirty” volunteer workparty at the Kennedy School Community Garden (5736 NE 33rd near Killingsworth) from 9:00 AM–Noon. No RSVP needed but to learn more, email FPCG Board Member Neil Schimmel.

Friends of Portland Community Gardens will also have an open house at the Pier Community Garden (N Iris Way and Barr Ave.), which has donated over 1000 pounds of produce to the food bank this season. The open house is from 10:00 AM–Noon and will be hosted by garden manager, Dielle Alexandre. NO RSVP needed. Just come and enjoy touring the garden and learning about how community gardens work.

Portland Fruit Tree Project will host members of Portland Dietetic Association as volunteers for a “benefit harvest” event in which all gleaned and harvested fruit will be donated.

CREST Farm, a program of West Linn-Wilsonville School District, will host an open house and fall festival from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Activities will include making fresh apple cider, touring the farm, meeting the farmer, seed saving, and fruit and veggie tasting. Each family can take home a free pumpkin. Middle school farm interns will be selling farm fresh vegetables. More info>>

Northeast Community Center volunteers, in partnership with Hollywood Farmers Market, will glean at the market. The group will solicit and collect donations of unsold, fresh local food from market vendors, transport the donations to Loaves and Fishes in Hollywood, and sort and prep produce for use in meals during the following week. More info>>

Lori S. Brizee will speak at the Athletic Club of Bend on nutrition for children and families at 10:30 AM. She will be selling her book: Healthy Choices, Healthy Children, a guide to raising fit, happy kids, which was written with Sue Schumann Warner and published by Paraclete Press on 10/1/11.

Sunday, October 23

Community for Earth and the Economic Justice Action Group (EJAG), two social justice committees of the First Unitarian Church of Portland, in partnership with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, will host a panel discussion at 1:00–2:30 PM to address Food Justice, Food Security and Food Sovereignty. Panelists are Dr. Lisa Weasel and Judy Bluehorse from PSU, and Alejandro Tecum from Adelante Mujeres. Donations of canned food for Salmon Street Day Shelter or hand tools for Woodlawn Children’s Garden are encouraged. More info>>

Oregon Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (OAAOM, the state professional association for acupuncturists and Oriental medicine practitioners), will host an event at 7:00 PM in celebration of both Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day (AOM Day), and Food Day. A panel of health experts will engage in a conversation about food, health, and how to achieve better balance within our bodies. To kick off the conversation, there will be a screening of the film Forks Over Knives. More info>>

Mayor Kitty Piercy will issue a proclamation for Eugene Food Day at 3:00 PM in honor of the seven events taking place across the Eugene metro area for Food Day.

Portland Fruit Tree Project will host a harvesting party. The event will bring people together to pick fruit that would otherwise go to waste, and make it available to people in need. This event is open to anyone, but advanced registration is required. Registration is taken on a first-come first-served basis, with 50% of the volunteer slots reserved for people living on low incomes. Half of the fruit goes to a local food bank, and the rest goes home with harvest participants. Monday October 24th, 10am – 1pm Fruit & location, TBA

Multnomah County’s CROPS Farm will organize a volunteer work party with Hands On Greater Portland. Organic produce harvested by volunteers will be donated to Oregon Food Bank. Sign up>>

Village Gardens will host a fall garden celebration from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM. Start at the St. Johns Woods Apartments to tour the gardens, see the chicken project, and help get some fall garden work done. Visit the Seeds of Garden located in New Columbia. Then tour the Village Market, which won a Spirit of Portland award. More info>>

Kaiser Permanente – Community Benefit will announce their grant awards for a Healthy Food Access RFP in celebration of Food Day. Kaiser Permanente is partnering with Zenger Farm, one of the 2011 Kaiser Permanente Healthy Food Access grantees, to host the event.

Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services has planned a special menu for Food Day. Carman Ranch grassfed beef hamburgers, a variety of Oregon apples from Kiyokawa Farms in Parkdale, and roasted red potatoes will be featured. In addition all schools have unlimited fruits and vegetables on the salad bar. This menu will be listed on the 2011-12 Calendar Menu with the Food Day logo included for October 24. The Calendar Menu is distributed to 30,000 families with students in Portland schools.

To help bring attention to Food Day and to National Farm to School Month during October, Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services cafeterias will also provide daily Fun Facts about Oregon agriculture and will engage elementary teachers with Harvest of the Month information and the “Apples to Oregon” book that can be used in the classroom. On Food Day there will be a drawing in the cafeteria for students to win Apples to Oregon books.

Lewis and Clark Law School will host a lunchtime speaker in honor of FOOD DAY. Michele Knaus, Executive Director of Friends of Family Farmers, will speak about the challenges and opportunities that independent farmers face in practicing sustainable and responsible small-scale agriculture – and how they get the delicious food they produce to your plate.

What does it cost to produce safe food in a sustainable way?

What are farmers’ biggest barriers to producing real food that can be accessible to everyone?

Specifically, what are some legal restrictions and hurdles these farmers have to negotiate?

How do these operations fit into our current food system?

What are groups like Friends of Family Farmers doing to advocate for change?

We’ll serve a potluck lunch at 12:00 PM in the Legal Research Center. We’ll prepare some delicious, vegan-friendly food for the event, but would love it if YOU brought YOUR favorite real food dish to share. Vegetarian or non, vegan or gluten free – whatever it is, please cook and eat with us on Monday! More info>>

Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU) Human Services Resource Center (HSRC) will host a Food Day tabling event on campus. HSRC offers OSU students services such as MealBux, the OSU Emergency Food Pantry, Emergency Housing Services, Health Insurance Subsidies, and Rental Assistance.

Hollywood Senior Centerwill host a presentation on Food Day. The Laurelhurst Whole Foods nutritionist will share info on “super foods” and other ways to improve health through good nutrition. Program from 2:00 -3:00 PM. Through a partnership with the Hollywood Farmers Market, the Center will have vegetables available at no charge for older adults throughout the day while supplies last.

Ten Rivers Food Web- East Linn will host a food education fair at City of Lebanon’s Public Library at 5:00 PM. This family friendly event will include cooking demonstrations, samples, educational and health material, information on gardening, food/healthy-eating related prizes. More info>>

Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. (PCRI), will host an event for residents of affordable housing and community members of the Housing Organizations of Color Coalition. Our recent N/NE Portland food assessment conveys the significant healthy food access challenges our communities are experiencing. We will explore both the challenges and resources, as well as food cultures and values in our communities. Conversations and produce provided by 5 local farms, and 5 additional local organizations whose missions include healthy food access. A fun event with cooking demo by local chef and food made by members of our communities. More info>>

The Side Yard, a small urban farm in NE Portland, will partner with Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. on their Food Day event. Farm owner and chef Stacey Givens has prepared a recipe for a cooking demonstration and will provide farm-fresh ingredients that participants can take home with the recipe.

The City Club of Portland and Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council will cosponsor a panel of local experts for a discussion on health and equity. 6:00-8:00 PM at Lucky Lab on Hawthorne Blvd. More info>>

ediblePortland will host a book lecture and signing followed by Fall Foods Tasting. Discuss the many politics of our food system with Oran Hesterman, author of Fair Food. A book signing and an open house will follow the talk, plus free tasting of local fall foods and locally made soda. 6:00-8:00 PM at Ecotrust Events Center. Co-sponsored by Portland Tuv Ha’Aretz, Slow Food Portland, Ecotrust, Edible Portland and Congregation Beth Israel. More info>>

Growing Gardens will host an open house at their new office from 4:00–7:00 PM to celebrate the new location, and to highlight the work they do to provide low-income people with the resources needed to grow organic vegetables at home and at school.

League of Women Voters of Corvallis Local Food Committee will sponsor an evening event featuring two films: “Nourish” and “SAGE: What Makes a Garden Grow.” Interspersed with the films, brief summaries of local food projects will be presented by a wide variety of community members. The purpose is to inform and to celebrate by offering a “taste” of the many local initiatives that are helping to create a healthy, secure local food system in the community. More info>>

The Nutrition Council of Oregon (NCO), along with the Oregon WIC program, will create a display in the Portland State Office Building lobby the week of October 24. This display will feature materials from the Nutrition Council’s “Too Many Ads” campaign. This campaign was developed to bring awareness to parents that their children are targets of junk food marketers and as parents, they have the power, to make good decisions about the foods and beverages their kids consume. Check out the Facebook page inspired by this campaign.

Hipcooks Portland will give a free demonstrations and tastings of a beautiful roasted butternut squash and sage soup from 10:00 AM–Noon. More info>>

All 11 locations of Cafe Yumm will be holding free tastings of local, organic, and whole foods. More info>>

Tuesday, October 25

The Oregon Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will host a table at the Portland Oregon Lloyd Farmers’ Market and feature the Department of Education’s Oregon Harvest of the Month materials in addition to providing information about how WIC supports Oregon farmers. The first 25 people to visit the WIC booth will receive an Oregon Grown Fresh Produce seasonal availability calendar. 10:00 AM

Thursday, October 27

Earl Boyles Elementary School, a Schools Uniting Neighborhoods Community Schools (SUN CS) site in David Douglas School District, will host a fall harvest festival after-school to celebrate their garden and food projects. The event will include educational and child friendly activities including cooking demonstrations, produce sampling, fall garden crafts, and food box distribution. Some of activities will involve support from Zenger Farms, Growing Gardens, Oregon Food Bank, and Urban Gleaners, which will offer a free farmers market at the event. During the event the school will also kick off its holiday food drive for the school food pantry.